Stone finished with a time of 1:11.16 behind Canadian Stephanie Dixon, who broke her own world record with a time of 1:09.3. Prior to the games, Stone said the 100-meter backstroke gave her the best chance to medal.
She also took fourth in the 400-meter freestyle (S9) on September 8 with a time of 4:46.53. Although she just missed a bronze medal, she set an American record and dropped an amazing 16 seconds from her qualifying time.
Stone finished sixth in the 100-meter freestyle. She missed the cut in the 100-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle.
Eighteen-year-old Stone and her mother, Linda, attend First Covenant Church in Grand Rapids. This is the second Paralympics competition for Stone, whose left leg was amputated above the knee when she was a child.
Stone competed at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece, when she was just 15 years old. She finished fifth in the women’s 100m backstroke, setting an American record and breaking the old standard by almost three seconds.
Since her first Paralympics, she has set numerous records and medaled in national and international competitions. For more on Stone and her journey to the Olympics, which began after her mother adopted her from a Romanian orphanage when the girl was four years old, see Pure Grit.
